Masters Of 'Alternative Facts': Big Tobacco

“Alternative facts” have been in the news frequently in the last few weeks. While this phrase is new, the tobacco industry and its executives have been masters of utilizing “alternative facts” for decades.

Since the first indication that tobacco products might cause disease, the tobacco industry has been funding research that puts its deadly products into a better light and assuring the public that their products are safe.

But perhaps the longest lasting “alternative fact” from the tobacco industry is that they do not intend to harm their consumers.

In 1954, Phillip Morris Vice President George Weissman announced that Philip Morris would “stop business tomorrow” if “we had any thought or knowledge that in any way we were selling a product harmful to consumers.” In 1972, Philip Morris Vice President James Bowling said, “If our product is harmful, we will stop making it.” In 1997, Philip Morris CEO Geoffrey Bible was asked “What would you do with your manufacturing plant if scientists proved that cigarettes were a cause of cancer?” He replied, “Shut it down instantly.”